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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Scallops with Cauliflower Purée & Crumbly Bacon

Another dish from our 13-course dinner! It's something I dreamed up a few days before, when P said that he'd really like to have scallops soon. I love the way the crispy surface of the scallops give way to the chewiness, and it's perfect with a smooth, creamy purée. Try it even if you're not a huge fan of cauliflower - the flavors work really well together, and with the bacon and garlic... ah. (This is again proof that bacon really should be thought of as a spice - it adds such wonderful flavor.) Really . do try it!

It's easy to scale this up or down, and it's actually easy to cook for quite a crowd too, but you can't really make the scallops in advance. The purée and the bacon crumble can definitely be made beforehand, just heat the purée before plating. (No need to heat the bacon bits.)

70 g bacon1-2 garlic cloves1 tsp olive oil (use one infused with chili if you happen to have it)

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place in a saucepan with cream and milk. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and cook on low heat until the cauliflower is completely soft. It takes about ten minutes. Mix it in a blender or with an immersion blender, season with salt, and set aside. (Keep on low heat if you're about to eat, otherwise reheat just before serving.)

Cut the bacon into very small dice, and finely mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the bacon until very crispy. Add the garlic for about a minute, but it burns easily so be careful. Set aside.

Cut the scallops in half along the middle, so you end up with two "coins" from each scallop. Dry the surfaces with a paper towel, and salt lightly. Fry in olive oil on medium heat for about one minute per side, until nicely colored and crispy.

To plate, place a dab of purée on each plate. Add two scallops and top with the bacon crumble.